Apparatus for kneading and forming amalgams



Dec. 11, 1928.

K. ZENTNER PPARATS FOR KNEADING AND FORMING AMALGAMS Filed Dec. 29 19262 any INVENTOR HIS ATTDNEY lao Patented Dec. 11, 1928.

UNITED STATES KARL ZENTNEB, 0F FBANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS FOR KNEADING AND FORMING AMALGAMS.

Application led December 29, 1926, Serial No. 157,854, and in GermanyDecember 31, 1925.

The invention relates to an improved apparatus `for mixing and preparingamai-1 gams, more especially for use as dental fillings, and has for itsobject to provide a simple and effective mechanism, which will serve asa means for measuring the ingredients or constituents of the amalgam andalso as a mortar in which the ingredients are worked and kneaded to thedesired consistency and the excess mercury expelled, after which thebody or pellet of amalgam is discharged ready for use. To thisend, theinvention comprises a mortar consisting of an upper and lower sectionconnected together ior independent rotation, each section being providedwith a longitudinal bore traversed by a rod threaded on its lower endand engaging the threaded Vbore of the lower section and provided on itsupper end with a piston-like head which iits the bore of the uppersection and constitutes the bottom of the mortar as well as the elementfor discharging the finished body or pellet of amalgam ready for use.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig.l is a sectional elevation apparatus.v

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the stylus or pestle, which may beconveniently employed with the mortar. f

Referring to Fig. 1, the mortar comprises a base section al providedwith a longitudinal bore, the lower part of which is interiorly screwthreaded and the upper portion of which is enlarged to form a socket toreceive the reduced cylindrical end of the upper member a, which latteris also provided with a longitudinal bore of two diameters in the upperand larger section of which operates a piston e formed upon a rod ftraversing the smaller portion of the bore and provided at its lower'endwith a screw threaded section g, which engages the threaded portion ofthe bore of the lower section a1.

The sections a and a1 are secured together to prevent relativelongitudinal movement and to permit independent rotation of the sectionsby means of a set screw o tapped into an opening in the upper portion ofthe .section al, theend of the pin engaging a circumferential groove inthe reduced portion b of the upper section a. By this particularcoordination, it will be apparent that, if the parts a and a1, areturned in opposite directhrough the tions, the piston e will bedisplaced or moved up or down Within the cylindrical bore of the uppersection a.

Associated with the mortar is a special form of pestle comprising acylindrical body portion /t having a headed end e' adapted to knead theingredients of the amalgam contained within the space Z above the pistone.- The opposite end of the pestle is provided With a cylindricalsection k adapted to fit the bore above the piston and to serve as ameans for compressing the amalgam to express the excess mercury andreduce the amalgam to the form of a cylindrical pellet.

In using the apparatus, the piston e is so 4adjusted in the upperportion of the section a, by rotating the sections a and csr withrespect to each other, as to provide a space suiiicient to receive thenecessary quantity of metal filings and mercury to make up the requiredamount of amalgam. This hollow space above the piston e is filled withthe amalgam mass which is kneaded with the hea ded end z' of the pestleuntil the mass has acquired the proper plasticity or consistency. Themass is then compressed with the cylindrical end if: of the pestle toexpress any excess of mercury and reduce the mass of the amalgam tocylindrical form, which is then discharged from the hollow space byfurther rotating the parts a and al to raise the piston until the pelletof amalgam is discharged from the bore. By this relatively simpleapparatus, the desired amount of amalgam may be quickly and accuratelyprepared without the operator being required to handle the ingredientsand knead the mixture in his hands as has been customary, therebyavoiding the danger of irnpairing the health of the operator frommercurial poisoning.

Preferably the upper end of the section a is dished or concaved towardthe bore to facilitate the charging of the metal filings and the mercuryinto the bore'.

What I cla-im is:

1. An apparatus for forming amalgams, comprising a container having acylindrical bore and a? piston adjustably fixed within said bore toregulate the cubical content of the bore and serve as a means fordischarging the finished amalgam from the bore.

2. An apparatus'for forming amalgams, comprising an upper section and alower section connected for independent rotation and provided withaligning longitudinal bores, and a piston fitted in the bore of theupper section and having a stem in threaded engagement with the bore ofthe lower section, whereby relative rotation of the seetions will effectlongitudinal adjustment of the piston within the bore of the uppersection.

3. An apparatus for forming amalgams, comprising an upper member havinga longitudinal bore, a lower member having a telescopio engagement withthe upper member, means for locking the members together againstlongitudinal motion but permitting independent rotatory motion of therespective members, and a piston fitted in the bore of the upper memberand having a rod provided with threads on its lower end engaging thethreads in the bore of the lower member, wherebyv rotation of the upperand lower members in opposite directions will move the piston in thebore of the upper member toI regulate the cubieal capacity of the boreabove the piston, and also to discharge the finished amalgam from thebore.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

KARL ZENTN ER.

